The Putnam County Health Department has released its Covid-19 date from last week. There were 65 new cases of the virus reported between August 22nd and 28th. That’s more than 5 times the rate of just 3 weeks earlier.
Seven of the reported cases were in those under age 19, a sign that younger people are now getting the disease at a rate not seen in earlier waves. One Putnam County resident was admitted to the hospital due to Covid. There were no new deaths reported in the period.
The county has a rate of 242 cases per 100-thousand in population, more than twice the threshold of High community transmission as defined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. With this rate, the CDC recommends wearing a mask when indoors in public places while also practicing social distancing and washing hands frequently.
More than 100 Putnam County residents got their first vaccine shot last week bringing the rate to just over 43%. 112 others completed their shots, giving the county a vaccination rate of just under 41% completed. Those numbers are well below the state figure of 52% with one shot and 52% complete.